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What a relief Set-up men Nelson, Stanton, Quantrill take center stage
Updated: Tuesday July 10, 2001 7:33 PM
SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Ask any baseball fan who leads the league in wins, saves and ERA and they will probably know. But follow that inquiry by asking who is tops in the league in holds and get ready for the ultimate blank stare. For every Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera, there is a Mike Stanton. For every Freddy Garcia and Kazuhiro Sasaki, there is a Jeff Nelson. To get to Billy Koch, you must first go through Paul Quantrill. For setup men like Stanton, Nelson and Quantrill, it has been like being a great villain in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie -- necessary, but without much fame. Until now, that is. Tuesday's 72nd All-Star Game may be better known as a showcase for Seattle, the Mariners and Safeco Field. But it's possible that Stanton, Nelson and Quantrill could turn it into a coming-out party for setup men throughout the league. The three relievers will share the spotlight with the league's best, with the possibility of having as much impact as a Clemens, Curt Schilling or Billy Wagner. It is a fact not lost on any of the three. "This is the first time it has been public recognition," said Stanton, a New York Yankees' lefthander. "You can see guys in this role are wanted. Teams want them, they know if they want to be competitive, they need a guy to cover the middle innings. Starters don't go as long as they used and closers are one-inning pitchers. You need someone in between to get some outs and if they don't you are not going to win." "It's important to me because the only time we get to talk to the media is when we give the game up," said Nelson, one of eight Mariners on the team. "Usually the media talks to the starter or the closer and not the middle guys. And the middle innings a lot of times are most important." Even if the trio does not impact the game, the fact that three relievers who have racked up a combined total of five saves are on the team sends an important message. "Anytime you can get three setup guys in the All-Star Game, you hope it sets somewhat of a precedent," said Quantrill, a righthander with the Toronto Blue Jays. "Not necessarily three all the time, but if a guy is having a great year, then invite him. But in the past, that wasn't even an option. Some of these guys in this role have a big impact on their teams." In a year when starting pitching was down a bit and a couple of potential candidates pitched Sunday, Yankees manager Joe Torre went the unprecedented route of naming the three setup men to the American League squad. While there are no setup men on the National League team, San Francisco's Felix Rodriguez was given consideration. "You have to know how the system is, you have 700 players and all of them can't go," Stanton said. "Being in the situation we are in, there is just not a whole lot of recognition, that is the nature of the beast." Just the fact that the All-Star managers looked at their numbers speaks volumes about how the role has changed. No team has been the recipient of quality late-inning relief than the New York Yankees, who have employed All-Star closer Rivera, Stanton and Nelson in the role of setup man over the last five years. The result has been a nearly unbeatable bullpen and four World Series titles in five years. "When I was in New York, we proved how important your bullpen is, especially in the playoffs," Nelson said. "You are not going to go too long with your starter because there is no tomorrow and you have to win today. So when you have good setup guys or good middle relievers it shows and it shows today because three are on this team." It is hard to argue with any of three earning a berth. Nelson is 3-1 with a 2.19 ERA and -- more impressively -- a .120 batting average against for baseball's best team. He was bypassed last year but got a chance Tuesday when Rivera pulled out with an ankle injury. "I'm happy he made it because it has been his year," Sasaki said of his teammate. Quantrill has enjoyed a dream first half that includes a 7-2 record, 2.13 ERA and a 23-inning scoreless stretch to open the season. He is the poster boy for the flexibility of his role, appearing in 43 of Toronto's 88 games in the first half. "I appreciate it probably more than anybody else in baseball," Quantrill said. "I know the times I have been on TV, it hasn't been good. If I'm doing my job, you just get to see Billy Koch with his funny beard getting the last out." Stanton has had to pick up additional responsibility following the departure of Nelson in the offseason. He is 6-2 with a 1.89 ERA and his 16 holds are among the AL leaders. "It is something I have a tough time putting into words," said Stanton. "When Joe told me, I was just in a daze for about an hour. It's a good thing I didn't pitch that night, who knows what would have happened?" Nelson may have best summed up the transformation of the setup man, a makeover that could be punctuated by a big effort Tuesday. "It wasn't a position where you had high-paid guys," Nelson said. "You paid your starters and you paid your closers and then went out and found whatever. "But it seems that now we are getting our due. You see teams going out before the break trying to get middle relievers, trying to get bullpen help because they know how important it is to get those wins." While Nelson was analytical, Quantrill might have gotten a bit too caught up in the excitement, daring to take on the biggest star -- Japanese rookie sensation Ichiro Suzuki, who will bat leadoff for the American League. "I think us being here is the best thing going this year," said Quantrill. "It's bigger than Ichiro. The three of us are going to take over." If they do, people will be forced to take notice.
© 2003 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP
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